Individualism In The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

All these videos keep popping up on my Instagram feed— “f*** the world and work on yourself.” Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a massive advocate for self-improvement as staying confined in a box your entire life doesn’t seem like much of a life at all. But, what happens when individuals take the concept of self-reliance and become completely or utterly fixated upon it? What becomes the end goal? Who defines it? How will you know if you’ve reached it? In the novel, The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald, the American vision of individualism manifests itself through personal responsibility, and prioritizing the individual driving characters to pursue materialistic success. However, Gatsby’s consequences of the pursuit of wealth and status lead

As Nick approaches the Buchanan residence for lunch and to be re-acquainted with Daisy, he recalls going to college with Tom. Nick recollects that “his family were enormously wealthy—even in college his freedom with money was a matter for reproach—but now he’d left Chicago and come East in a fashion that rather took your breath away; for instance, he’d brought down a string of polo ponies from Lake Forest. It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough to do that”(Pg 6). While a main facet of individualism includes the American dream, the ideology is not only limited to those attempting to gain social status. The branch of individualism that drives Tom is prioritizing the individual and their desires above all else. Nick’s use of the phrase “his freedom with money was a matter for reproach” insinuates that Tom’s lack of hard work to earn his money caused him to live an extravagant and carefree life. Furthermore, the ending of the quote, “It was hard to realize that a man in my own generation was wealthy enough to do that” suggests that Tom’s materialistic success caused him to become disassociated with the problems of regular people. Later into the novel when Tom, Nick, and Myrtle Wilson go to visit Myrtle’s sister’s apartment, as the night draws on, “Tom Buchanan and Mrs. Wilson stood face to face discussing, in impassioned voices, whether Mrs. Wilson had any right to mention Daisy’s name. Daisy! Daisy! Daisy!’ shouted Mrs. Wilson. ‘I’ll say it whenever I want to! Daisy! Dai— making a short deft movement, Tom Buchanan broke her nose with his open hand”(37). Tom’s lack of understanding and care for Myrtle’s feelings displays his superiority complex over others based on his wealth. The phrase “short deft